Germany's funding for development in Namibia

German financial support for development for the period 2013 and 2014 amounts to close to N$2 billion. This funding helps support programs to, among others, develop the coastal national parks, implement the Urban Transport Masterplan for Windhoek, Okahandja and Rehoboth, improve Namibia’s competitiveness in manufacturing. Willem Goeieman of the National Planning Commission lead the Namibian delegation while Alois Schneider, who is in charge of the Division for Southern Africa at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, steered the German side. German Ambassador H.E. Onno Hückmann, and H.E. Neville Gertze, Namibian Ambassador to Germany, also took part in the negotiations. The main objective of development cooperation is to support the government’s efforts to reduce poverty, to improve infrastructure and the sustainable use of natural resources, as well as to foster sustainable economic development. The Namibian-German cooperation is aligned with the ideas and goals formulated in the 4th National Development Plan. Both governments agreed to continue cooperation in the three focal areas of their partnership: Natural Resources Management, Transport, and Sustainable Economic Development. Topics outside of the focal areas include HIV/AIDS as a cross cutting issue to all sectors, energy efficiency and water. The importance of skilled labour for development was emphasised by both sides and reaffirmed through an additional commitment of approximately N$75 million from the German government. The next bilateral negotiations on development cooperation are envisaged to take place in Germany in September / October 2015. Preparatory consultations will be held in Namibia in early 2015.